Member Testimonies of Jesus Christ

Member Testimonies of Jesus Christ

James G. Stokes:

I was born in 1986. Soon after birth, I was diagnosed with cerebral palsy secondary to congenital hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus, called “water on the brain,” is a condition in which an individual has either too much or too little cerebrospinal fluid. In my now 28 years of life I have had more than 50 surgical procedures for these conditions.

...on what felt like the darkest and most dismal night I had ever faced, I forgot the many blessings I had received from the Lord. I thought only of the sorry state of my life. My negativity engulfed me, and I began to doubt all I had been taught about my Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. A loving God, I rationalized, would not have left me alone to face this nightmarish reality. Worst of all, no one knew what I was going through. My family felt a portion, but they did not fully understand how painful my experiences had been. No one did.

I was about to voice these thoughts in prayer when I heard my name. Through my anguish I recognized the voice of the Spirit, carrying a message to my soul from my Savior reminding me I was not alone. Jesus Christ knew what I was going through. He had felt my pain.

As the message resonated in me, doubt was replaced by shame. In my self-pity, I had forgotten about Jesus Christ. I had been taught much about how the Savior suffered for our sins. I had forgotten that in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross, the Lord had also borne my grief and carried my pain (see Isaiah 53:4; Alma 7:11). This reminder forever changed the way I look at the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Brandon Mull:

Anonymous, LDS Women Project:

One of my most sacred moments was when I was able to reconnect to the Atonement and Jesus Christ. It was a very personal experience that showed me just how much the Lord knew me individually, and how I would learn. How real the Atonement is, and His ability to heal. It rebuilt my crumbled foundation stronger than ever and I began to hold onto Jesus as my lifeline. It was the hardest healing journey I have ever gone through, but I had miracle upon miracle that lifted me up and quite literally molded me into a completely different person.

Anonymous, The Ensign:

I began reading the scriptures differently, actually understanding and applying them. While I was doing everything “right,” I still felt a great burden of guilt. Then I started to focus my studies on Christ and His Atonement, how He could be my Savior and how His infinite Atonement could redeem my soul. One night while meditating upon all I had learned from those prayerful studies, I felt the Spirit touch my heart, heal my soul, and comfort me. I felt secure and loved, and my guilt left.

Liliane Soares Moreira, The Ensign:

When my parents got divorced, I felt that all my hope of having an eternal family had ended. It was a very hard moment in my life. However, even though it wasn’t easy for me to recognize, that trial brought unforeseen blessings to my family. For one, my mom got baptized!

I also was able to get to know my Savior better. To get over my sadness, I chose to visit an aunt in Peru, where I met a new friend who strengthened me greatly. That friend and I often studied the scriptures together and during one special occasion while we were discussing gospel topics, I felt the love of my Savior for me very strongly. The feeling was like the voice of my Savior telling me, “I have always been with you; you just couldn’t tell.”

Anonymous, The Ensign:

Feeling powerless to change my feelings, I cried out in prayer, “Father, please help me forgive—through the power of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of this world.” A feeling of peace swept through my body, and I felt renewed in every part of my being. In amazement, I thanked Heavenly Father for the gift He had given me. My hurt was swept away, my pains were erased, and love beyond description filled my heart. I was experiencing the power of the Atonement. I recalled Alma’s language, “There could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains,” but on the other hand, “there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy” (see Alma 36:21).
Having now tasted the delicious fruit of the Atonement, I could not bear the thought of ever carrying my burdens alone again. I realized that the command for daily repentance meant that I needed a time for daily renewal, a time to have my spirit cleansed, a time to forgive and let go of even the little hurts so they would not find a place in my heart in which to fester.
Our challenges did not disappear, but a spirit of peace filled me with love and helped us work through them. Perhaps I will never find adequate words to describe the difference the Atonement of Jesus Christ has made in our family.

Anonymous, The Ensign:

I remember feeling the weight of years of secrets lift as my bishop listened. I recall his pure tears as he heard my story. I felt the love of Heavenly Father, and I felt reassured that the abuse was not my fault and that I was still pure and virtuous. This was the beginning of my path to healing, a path that would continue for many years.
There wasn’t just one moment of healing—it was a process of peace, understanding, and answers that came as I studied my scriptures, prayed daily, and became more acquainted with Jesus Christ. As I studied the Savior’s life, I felt increasing love for Him. The Spirit testified truths to me, including my own worth as a daughter of God. As I submitted my heart to the Lord, obeyed His commandments, and sought His will, I was filled with comfort and peace. As I came to know Him, I began to know myself. Eventually, my past didn’t hurt anymore. The burden was removed. The Savior had healed me.

Ruth, On Fire in Baltimore:

I really, really wanted to know the truth. So it was the first time in my life I ever prayed like this, with all the faith I had. I prayed for two weeks. Then one night I went to sleep and received a vision of the Father and Jesus Christ. I mean, I actually seen them! They were standing there and their feet weren’t touching the ground. When I looked upon them I could see the fire of eternity burning within them!

Sheera, On Fire in Baltimore:

Well, let me tell you; let me tell you what I saw…The street was like glass, and it looked like God was sitting on a throne. It was so beautiful, so beautiful to see! He had on red—well, I guess it was Jesus with the red—so he had on white and it was amazing! So, so amazing that I had a dream like that.” Sheera pauses and moistens her lips, and I’m expecting her to tell me the significance of the dream; instead, she moves on. “So I’ve just had strange things happen to me before I joined the church. A lot of things I hear now in church are things I heard before. It was like, preparing me—even when I was a kid in South Carolina I was preparing, preparing for the Church.

Sage Volkman, The Ensign:

When Sage was first wheeled into the burn unit, the medical staff had little hope that she would make it through the night. “They gave her a 10-percent chance of living,” Michael remembers. She had third- and fourth-degree burns on her face, arms, chest, and legs. Her nose and one ear had been melted off. Her fingers were so charred that they would have to be amputated. She lost 35 percent of her eyelids. One lung had collapsed, and another was barely functioning; a quart of soot would be extracted from them.
She was also in a coma.
Somehow, Sage hung on to life, and two days later the doctors felt she was strong enough to receive the first of what would eventually be eight skin grafts. Then she developed pneumonia.
“All we did those first ten days was cry and pray,” says Michael.
…Both Michael and Denise credit Sage’s survival to the skill of the medical staff who attended her and to the faith and prayers of the members of their new church.
“We found out immediately what the Church was all about,” Michael says. “The ward held some special fasts—we didn’t even know what a fast was at the time—and many people came to give their support. Sage received many priesthood blessings.”
One of the first blessings was given by Robert DeBuck. “When Robert blessed her,” his wife, Ruth, recalls, “he told her to go where it was safe—into Heavenly Father’s arms. We lived for a long time on faith in that blessing. We believe that’s where she was.”
Months later, Sage gave evidence of the efficacy of that faith. One day Denise asked her if she remembered anything at all during those first six weeks. Sage said she remembered being with Jesus.
A little skeptical, her mother asked, “What did he say?”
“He just held me and told me he was sorry that I was hurt. He told me he loved me,” Sage replied.
“What did you say?”
“I told him I loved him, too. I said I wanted to stay, but he told me I had things to do. Then he was gone.”

Mary Williams:

One day I returned home from work. It had been a particularly difficult day, and I felt the burdens of the world. I was extremely fatigued, emotionally and physically. I had not been home long when I felt impressions of the still small voice that I should go to the home of a woman that I had visit-taught for a number of years.

She had been inactive for many years. Many times I would try to visit her, but I was often unsuccessful in my attempts. On the few occasions when I was able to visit her, I came to know that she had a strong belief in a Heavenly Father but had been offended many years previously and had difficulty with some of the teachings of the Church. When I felt impressed that I should go to her home, my first response was, “Not tonight. I am so tired. It can wait until tomorrow.” But, as is often the case, the impressions continued to come more strongly.

Finally I drove to her home, thinking, “Why am I doing this? She probably won’t answer the door.” I knocked on the door, and soon the door opened. I could tell she was extremely distraught. She invited me in. Her first words were, “How did you know to come?”I responded that the promptings had been there. For the next several hours we talked about her desperate family situation, her suicidal feelings, and her sense of hopelessness. I prayed that I might know how to comfort her as the Savior would do.

The words came, the promptings came, and I began to see a calm come to her. That night forever changed my relationship with her and forever changed my relationship with the Savior. Now I never have trouble getting into her home or making contact with her. I no longer question the Spirit’s promptings when they come, for I recognize them more clearly. We have had many opportunities for gospel conversation.

What did I learn about the Savior that night? I learned that He loved this dear sister regardless of her current standing in the Church. I learned how He comforted as I listened to the promptings I received as I talked with her. Did I know my Savior better after that night? Yes! I learned the Savior trusted me enough to let me participate as He met her needs.

Giorgia Murgia:

One day when I was seven years old, in my father’s place came a man with a somber face who stood at the door and told us that my father had been killed in an accident.

That day I was silent. I looked at my four-year-old brother and my mother, so young and alone, and I did not cry. I didn’t think it could be true, so I went to the window and stared at the street. I began to feel an unbearable force pressing down on my shoulders, a weight that would not let me breathe normally, a pressure that oppressed me.

Not long after my father’s death, I went into my room alone at the fading light of sunset and, as I had been taught, prayed to my Heavenly Father. I pleaded with Him to let me see my beloved father again, just to hug him. In my heart I was certain that Heavenly Father could give me this miracle.

That day I didn’t get to see my dad or hug him, but I was given much more. It was as if I felt the hands of the Savior on my shoulders. His presence was almost tangible as He removed the weight that pressed down on my chest.

Now, over 20 years later, that relief has never left me. At times I have felt sadness but never emptiness at the loss of my father. I can look back and see how many times the Spirit has come to console me, help me, and show me the way to follow the Savior’s precious steps. I can feel His presence in my life thanks to that first trial, which helps me see everyday trials with an eternal perspective. I know it is the gospel in our lives that allows us to feel the invisible caress of the Savior’s hand.

Anonymous:

When I went to see the bishop, he immediately welcomed me into his office. With difficulty, I tried to articulate why I was there. After hiding my sins so long, I hardly knew where to start. He lovingly encouraged me to come clean. I explained the general nature of my sins and asked for time to provide the full inventory of my misdeeds. He readily agreed.

I still had yet to fully confess, but I felt the weight of the world lifting from my shoulders. I also felt a renewed hope of freedom, finally, from this burden.

I spent the next weeks praying, reading the scriptures, and creating my inventory to present to both my bishop and my Heavenly Father. First I took my list to Heavenly Father, with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, to let Him know I was sorry and sincerely desired to change. I set another appointment with the bishop and shared my list in its entirety. He didn’t frown, yell, or chastise me; instead, he gave me a big hug. He let me know of his love and the Lord’s love, informing me that I was now on the path of true repentance. I knew it was true.

Confessing my sins, formerly my biggest fear, became one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. It was the first step for me to truly understand the gift and the healing power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Amancay Kotecka-Miño:

Little by little, mistakes and decisions made me deaf to the whisperings of the Spirit. My scriptures ended up in the deepest part of my trunk and I even stopped praying.
My life was not turning out—too many tears and disappointments. It was hard to understand why my family had to undergo so many trials. Right before my last year of high school, my parents had to leave Poland. The prospect of relocating again caused me anguish. Finally, I again knelt in prayer, truly meaning my words: “Heavenly Father, Thy will be done, not mine.”
That prayer marked the beginning of my return to the Church, which I knew would require repentance. That Sunday, for the first time in nearly a year, I attended sacrament meeting. The next day I again decided to be baptized.
The Lord helped me through my difficult process of returning to what I had once known to be true. I now define those difficult circumstances as some of the sweetest blessings from God. He did not forget me. He listened to my prayers and waited for me to recognize His answer. He helped me through all the suffering I endured, strengthening and protecting me. In the process I gained greater clarity on the meaning of Christ’s divine mission and His Atonement.
I was baptized in April 2011. My plane has taken off since—I now reside in France, which means more changes. However, I am now grateful to Him for my life and for the circumstances that He had me live through. Because of my testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, I now understand that I am not alone, no matter what destinations life brings next.

Anonymous, The Ensign:

I turned to the scriptures and found hope, strength, and understanding in the Savior’s words. I reflected on how his words had already blessed and lifted me. I wrote in my journal: “The tides of self-pity, self-reproach, and self-destruction rage against my shore. And at my shore the Savior is ever there, building—shoring up—protecting against the onslaught—telling me I have value—telling me to believe in myself. His is the voice I prefer to hear, the voice I must heed.”

Opportunities came to rebuild belief in myself. Priesthood counsel and blessings offered me divine comfort. Through the Savior’s great love, my strength and courage were bolstered.

Kristen Nicole Cardon, the Ensign:

Perhaps I didn’t fully understand then, as I sang “Amazing Grace” with a fully mended throat at the festival, that I was singing about the very power that had healed me just the day before. The Savior’s Atonement had blessed me that day; His grace was the source of my healing.

Michele Reyes, The Ensign:

But my perspective has changed as I have embraced motherhood with one arm. I once thought I was one of the people who most looked forward to the Resurrection and the idea of being made whole. But now I am not in so much of a hurry. Increasingly, I feel the Atonement working in my life now. I have realized that the healing power need not begin only when the Resurrection occurs. The wholeness has already begun when, every night, one of my children tenderly holds what remains of my arm and slips into slumber. This realization has been just as meaningful to me as any miracle of physical healing.

Jessica Patterson Turner, The Ensign:

It was the Savior’s healing power that I felt most throughout my reading of the Book of Mormon. Verse after verse testifies of His grace, mercy, compassion, and infinite love. As I read about Jesus Christ, I felt overwhelmed with gratitude for His sacrifice. One of the greatest miracles I experienced while reading was the feeling of complete forgiveness for a series of poor choices made years ago. I felt as though the Savior was speaking directly to me as I read. In my heart I felt the words, It’s time to move on. Christ literally provided the healing I needed.

Elder Larry Echo Hawk:

I witness this peace will come into our lives as we heed the teachings of Jesus Christ and follow His example by forgiving others. As we forgive, I promise the Savior will strengthen us, and His power and joy will flow into our lives.The tomb is empty. Christ lives. I know Him. I love Him. I am grateful for His grace, which is the strengthening power that is sufficient to heal all things.

Anonymous, The Christ Who Heals:

Fiona has a dear friend who suffered an unspeakable atrocity when just a little girl. Geographically isolated as she was, there was no one to hear her cries or to aid her. In order to survive, as many do, she tucked the horror into the depth of her subconscious mind. Still, the effects continued to haunt her, marring all aspects of her life. She suffered a series of further setbacks and abandonments. Even after she became a member of the Church, she continued to bear the psychological trauma bound up in the hidden memory, in addition to single-mother travails. Still, she remained faithful—accepting callings and attending sacrament meetings week after week and year after year. Fiona marveled at her courage and tenacity. There was no evidence of any respite or healing. Yet, still, she came. Then one day, out of the blue, she approached Fiona with the words: “I have something important to share with you.” Disconcerted, in spite of her earnestness, that she should approach Fiona in a location she would never have associated with the sacred, Fiona was nevertheless roused from her discomfort by the following words—words that often precede revelatory experience: “I do not know if I was awake or asleep, . . . but last night the Savior appeared at the foot of my bed. He was weeping. He called me by my name and spoke: ‘I am so sorry for your life. I am so sorry for your life,’ which, while weeping, he continued to repeat until I awoke the next morning to find my pillow bathed in my own tears.”

Melanie Walker:

At first, I felt, “Okay, we’ve done this before; we can do it again.” I felt his presence with me every day, having many more spiritual experiences with this trial, but something seemed to be changing this time. After about three months, I found myself getting angrier and angrier with the Lord. How could He take another son? I found myself slipping into depression, but even more than that, I was having anxiety so bad that I couldn’t even fall into a deep sleep. It seemed like everything that I had ever been through was haunting me now. There was fear and panic, literally 24/7. This went on for about three months, to the point that now I was becoming suicidal. My husband was begging me to get on some anxiety pills, for fear of what was going to happen to me. I took time to pray about this decision and was told this was not the way the Lord wanted me to handle this. I was to learn my source of strength was to come through Him.

About this time, my husband had given me a book titled The Infinite Atonement, by Tad Callister. I didn’t get into it right away; in fact, it took me about another month to pick it up and start reading it. But once I did, it had such a profound impact on my life. For the first time ever, I realized the Atonement was so much more than a process used for repentance. I realized that the Atonement was literally part of Jesus Christ Himself, with all the enabling powers of His grace that He gives to us in our weaknesses, if we will but submit to Him.
Through much prayer and learning, the anxiety and depression were lifted. I learned different coping skills through obedience to the Lord, and my conversion deepened again.

Jean Jensen:

I was in the Pioneer Stake conference when my mother, Sarah Jeremy Anderson, spoke after having been desperately ill for a week previous to the conference. I can remember the power of the administration prior to that when she was promised that she would arise from her bed and fill her assignment. I can remember how quiet the room was at the conference as she spoke and how we could hear the clock tick when suddenly she stopped. I saw my mother look up, turn very pale, and be unable to speak for a while and then go on with a radiance in her face I will never forget. When she returned home she told us that as she looked up she saw the feet of the Savior with the nail prints in them. She was weak but well and bore this testimony in sacred places and appropriate times all her life.

Ryan Gurr:

Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel

I froze.

I froze, not from the icy outdoor temperature, or from the snowflakes resting at the tip of my nose, but because of the chilling waves of warmth and light and truth that penetrated my body, from top to bottom.

How could I rejoice? At a time like this?
Was this promise true, and for me?

I stood there, on the sidewalk, in the snow, alone. But I didn’t feel alone.
I felt something for the first time since I could remember. I was paralyzed on that sidewalk. I felt so much that I cried. Sobbed, really.
For the first time since I could remember, someone cared. I think. Someone cared about me. About where I was, how I was, who I was. About my captivity — like Israel — about my bondage to the severe depression and anxieties and plans of suicide, plans I had made to remove myself from this mortal frame and journey. To remove myself as nothing more than a burden to those around me.
Maybe this Emmanuel, the Son of God, was come to give his life a ransom for many; and, perhaps, maybe least of all, for me.
The warmth that ignited my body and soul in that moment was the rejoicing this hymn commanded its listener to have, for Jesus Christ does not leave us alone — that’s what my mom had always said. Christ did not leave me alone.
For the first time in my life, I realized that He is, simultaneously, the Savior of the world, and my personal Savior, Redeemer, Brother, Friend.